


wood burns and metal rusts; so darling what to become of us?

by pepper_407



Category: Atypical (TV 2017)
Genre: Multi, Nonbinary Casey Gardner, Nonbinary Character, Polyamory, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27483970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepper_407/pseuds/pepper_407
Summary: Casey misses Evan but that doesn't mean they don't still love being with IzzieAKA there is another solution to this love triangle
Relationships: Casey Gardner/Izzie, Evan Chapin/Casey Gardner
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	wood burns and metal rusts; so darling what to become of us?

**Author's Note:**

> atypical fic note: I use they/them pronouns for Casey all the way through because even though they don't know that those are their pronouns for most of it it felt like the right thing to do, it's like when you talk about a trans person as a kid, using the correct pronouns always is important! (but also no judgment if you wait in a story until a person has figured shit out, I do that sometimes too)  
> the title is from what will become of us by passenger

Casey likes being bi, they like the feeling of knowing themself and likes how they feel around their beautiful girlfriend. But they also feel like they're lying about something and if they just figured out what it was Casey knows that shit would be smooth sailing from here on out (this is a lie, they have four weeks before school goes back and in the meantime, they have to balance a girlfriend and an insane track schedule and while those two things often coexist, it just feels like a lot, and it's still the school fucking holidays)

They miss Evan and hate what they do and that they want to call him so the two of them can hang out but that's cruel and Casey knows it. They also want to call him so they can talk through their feelings with him and they know that that's even crueller because they have a girlfriend who they love to talk to and spend time with, but it's different and not different in the way that when they first kissed Izzie and thought that maybe they were a lesbian and that's why they felt different about Evan compared to Izzie. But no, Casey loved (loves) Evan and you feel differently about everyone in your life even if you do care for them on the same wavelength.

So Casey decided to take another fucking run, even though this is their first day off in forever (and they really need it) but they also needs to think and get out of their house and also just out of their head. They run her old path that they ran for years before making it longer and more rigorous. Casey has memories of running with Sharice and their dad but mostly just by themself, thinking about school and Sam and Elsa and whatever else was bugging them. 

Casey runs and thinks about last week when they were at a dress-up party with Izzie and the two of them went as Gomez and Morticia Addams and how many people there thought Casey was really a guy and how they stopped correcting them because it actually weirdly felt really awesome. About how someone at school started a queer student alliance club and asked them to run it with him and when they asked in a pretty unsubtle way if he was gay or bi or what? And he replied that he was a demiguy and explained that that meant he only kind of a guy and Casey just hasn't stopped thinking about that interaction since and they also looked it up online (as to not offend him with dumb questions or insensitive comments, but then also kept looking online). About how recently when people are talking about them (aka when they eavesdrop on their family talking about them) they feel uncomfortable when they hear the conversation in a really different way than they used to but Casey just isn't quite sure what they're uncomfortable with. Maybe existing in front of people? but isn't that just being a teenager? Also, the fact that their internal monologue is hardly ever in the third person anymore, is that nothing? Or is all this weird shit related or are they just being overdramatic about literally nothing?

Oh yeah, the run ends at the start of Evan's block and they almost laugh at their own idiocy, and wonders if they had really meant to come here and if they're just the worst girlfriend of all time (something else that is weird: when they call Izzie their girlfriend it make Casey so happy but when they think about being Izzie's girlfriend it makes them feel kind of weird, what is that? And what the fuck is wrong with them?).

They decide to just check out the front of the house, maybe see if anyone is home and then head back, and yes Casey's getting pretty good at lying to themself, it could even be comparable to Elsa (but also they'll punch you in the throat if you do that). Casey sneaks around the back because they really can't deal with Beth right now and goes to knock on Evan's window and they see him through his window shirtless and finally realises how colossal of a fuck up this was and tries to sneak back out but trips on a watering can (who knew those things could be so loud) and Evan comes out and he mostly just looks amused and looking at him makes something break inside of them and Casey starts sobbing right there ground.

He gets them a cup of tea and some Oreos because he's Evan Chapin that's exactly what he would do and lets them cry and tell him that they miss him and that they feel wrong but they're not sure why or what wrong with them and tells him about the stuff they were thinking about on their run. And then when they're finally out of tears he says that maybe that stuff is connected to something that happened when they were dating. Which was when they had a conversation about his aunt Casey got really invested and interested in the whole trans aspect of his aunt's life. Casey remembers this conversation and her curiosity and thinks maybe he's right and is as always impressed by how smart and wonderful Evan is. And then he continues to be amazing by telling them that he had been doing a little research and then they broke up with him but he kept doing the research and then his phone rings so he excuses himself to the kitchen to take the call. And Casey really does try hard not to eavesdrop (and does actually succeed) but it does go against all of their natural instincts. Then he comes back with a whole folder of information and Evan tells them to maybe look through it later and that Izzie will be here soon.

He mumbles the last bit and once it registers the only thing they can ask is "Why do you have my girlfriend's number?"

They don't know if they said girlfriend instead of Izzie because its a word that they can't stop thinking about or because they need to remind themself that they're in a relationship and it's not with Evan, but once they say the word he gives her a little head nod and Casey wonders if they actually know what the fuck is going on, like at all.

They wait, side by side, in silence and Casey vaguely look at the binder full of printed out pages of information but can't process a word because they're thinking about the conversation they had with Sam about hard choices and them having to choose Izzie because it was the only option. And they look at their ex who is looking so very nervous but also kind of sure of himself and like he has nothing to lose (and everything to gain).

There is a knock and the door and Casey snapped out of their state and much to both of their surprise Casey goes to answer the door and there she is, beautiful and sweaty, and Casey wants to kiss her right there and then and Izzie looks like she might just do the same. And then Evan comes out to the front door where the two of them are just standing there looking at each other and Izzie continues to look like she might still try to kiss them even though they are standing next to Casey's ex-boyfriend in his house. And honestly, Casey is finally sick of not knowing what the fuck is going on.

Evan sees the downright confusion and annoyance on their face and he gives Izzie a look Casey can't for the life of them decipher but honestly at this point they've given up trying to know what in fucks sake is going on.

"Casey, we have been talking," Says Evan after getting a nod from Izzie

"What is going on you guys?" they ask because Casey just really needs to know this second or they are probably gonna lose their shit have no idea what is happening

"We love you," Izzie says in her blunt fashion that Casey has come to love, except this time it feels like everything is in some kind of alternate realm where they're supposed to know what the fuck is going on

"Uh, yeah, you know I love you, and obviously your girlfriend also loves you and we just want to work with that if that is something you want to do"

"Evan, stop being so insecure, Casey still loves you and we both know it"

"What is going on? Izzie are you? You're not breaking up with me in the weirdest way possible are you?"

Both Izzie and Evan give them a look that says that maybe they are doing the opposite of that, but that's insane there is no magic solution to this love triangle that Casey had thought they had already solved, and while they're thinking about that, Izzie says "I'm not breaking up with you, it's very much the opposite, I have been doing some research with your boyfriend about a good solution to our problem"

"I'm like ninety per cent I broke up with Evan, but also I honestly have no idea what's going on so who the fuck knows"

"You did but I think maybe you just did it because you had feelings Izzie and didn't want to cheat"

"I'm not my mother"

"I know I know and I understand why you broke up with me but what do you know about polyamory?"

"Like when three people date?" Casey knows that this is a thing but they hadn't ever thought about in a real sense and they would never have thought about it in a real-life personal scenario, also they're ninety per cent sure Izzie doesn't like guys

And it's almost like their amazing girlfriend can read their mind because she quickly continues her thought by saying "But they don't all have to date each other, so maybe if this is a thing you could want, I would still date you and you could also date Evan"

"And this is something you are both alright with?"

This is when Evan jumps in, "We've been talking about it for a little while, we didn't mean to keep anything from you but we know you have a lot on your plate and we needed to figure out if this is something we could both handle before we pitched it to you"

"You're right, I do have a lot on my plate like I have extra training and I have some identity shit to figure out," Casey says as they nod to the folder that Even gave them what felt like a whole other life ago, "I don't know if I have time for one partner, let alone two"

"Of course, that's why we don't want you to feel pressure, but if you were maybe interested in this thing, maybe it would be good for that, me and Evan have clicked a little so we would be friends and we could all work together to figure out how to do this in a good and well thought out way"

"But again, no pressure"

"Evan, stop saying that, I don't feel any pressure from you," they say because it's obvious to Casey that he is even more anxious than them, maybe because he has so much more to gain, it's weird thinking about themself as something that people want, as someone who people want to be with so much that they would do research and make friends and figure stuff out. Casey suddenly feel so loved but also rather overwhelmed and says "This is a lot, I care so deeply for you both but I think I just need some time"

Izzie and Evan reply at the exact same time, "Of course" and Casey feels another swell of love for them. Both of them.

So that's what they do. For the next two weeks, Casey spends time with their family & with Sharice and of course spend a lot of timing running. They also spend lots of time researching, they find stuff about polyamory and how to handle it and just _how_ to do it. They also find stuff being nonbinary, they are drawn to words like bigender and genderflux and other words that encompass lots of feeling that Casey knows they have to time to figure out and explore but they also know they really like neutral pronouns and the fact that that's something they can just do makes them so fucking happy. They also spend a lot of time missing Izzie, because before these two weeks the two of them had seen each other nearly every day and they found themself almost wishing school was back so they could see Izzie without all the pressure. Casey also finally, _finally_ lets themself fully miss Evan. god, they miss him so much, his kind smile and dumb jokes and the way he would just naturally hold her and always know when they're not alright. And when they have had enough of all of missing the two of them and feel like they've done more research in the last fortnight than they've ever done at school, they create a group chat and proceed to message the people she loves because sometimes there is another option and they're choosing it.

**Author's Note:**

> comments feed my soul <3


End file.
